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Nine Inches of Snow
It started as rain in the middle of the night, and eventually turned to what I was hoping for. Nine inches of snow, like sparkly white frosting over the landscape. The cold surely must have been something of shock to the birds. Even though it was in the forecast, that cold and snow still a…
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Snow in the Forecast
A Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) enjoying the seeds of Black-eyed Susans buried in deep snow. Snow that fell in 2016. December of 2021 was incredibly warm. Now the first two days of this new year of 2022 have followed that example with precision. Not like winter at all. Tonight as I write this it is…
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Bronze Blister Beetle
Bronze Blister Beetle (Lytta aenea). As I sit, doing research on this beetle, I find my tendency to avoid touching or picking up any critters I encounter as I roam the woods up here to be reinforced. Though some creatures might look innocent or cute and cuddly they can bring on unpleasant consequences. This particular…
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Ticks in Winter
Today’s post is a collaborative endeavor between my treasured buddy/granddaughter, seven year old “Cherry” Jones and myself. I had mentioned to her that my subject was going to be ticks and that I had no photographs. She immediately suggested she could do illustrations, so here they are! We were quite surprised just a few days…
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Eastern Phoebe In Winter
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). An amiable little bird that I love to see around as it flicks its tail feathers as a signal to me. A sign of identification. Being that it is an insectavore makes me welcome it well beyond my being enthralled by its charm. An event of just a couple days ago…
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A Catbird!
A photo from May, 2021. A very rare sighting for me. The Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). A contributing factor to my seldom seeing the Catbird is its avoidance of unbroken forest (mostly that here) and its affinity for suburban gardens (not suburban at all). Possibly.
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Bluebirds During the Holidays
Special days bring special things. Today was no exception with some Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) arriving. Shopping for housing no doubt, perhaps with a real estate agent. They were all checking out the houses around the yard and noticed that meal worms were waiting for them at the feeder. This male with his brilliant blue…
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Birdbaths in Winter
During the winter my birdbaths really draw the birds. Bring in birds that aren’t interested in the seeds and suet that I put out at the feeders. Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) and Robins (Turdus migratorius) don’t eat at the feeders but they sure take pleasure in the water. Another on my list of those that…
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Purple Finch
A bird that I rarely see. Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus). Not an unusual bird, but one that just doesn’t show up here on my mountain. In all my years of capturing images of birds, I’ve only had two occasions to photograph a Purple Finch. Once in 2010 and once in 2017. The Purple Finches that…
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Downy Woodpeckers Love Suet
Suet at the bird feeders here insures that Downy Woodpeckers (Picoides pubescens) show up. They’re cute little things, about the same size a Dark-eyed Junco or a White-throated Sparrow. The smallest woodpeckers in North America. The Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) is quite similar in its markings but a good bit larger — the size of…